Monophysitism (from the Greek monos meaning 'one, alone' and physis meaning 'nature') is the christological position that Christ has only one nature, as opposed to the Chalcedonian position which holds that Christ has two natures, one divine and one human. There are two major doctrines that can undisputedly be called monophysite:

• Eutychianism holds that the human nature of Christ was essentially obliterated by the Divine, "dissolved like a drop of honey in the sea".
• Apollinarianism holds that Christ had a human body and human "living principle" but that the Divine Logos had taken the place of the nous, or "thinking principle", analogous but not identical to what might be called a mind in the present day.

The radical monophysitism of Eutyches, a presbyter and archimandrite at Constantinople, emerged as a response to Nestorianism. It was rejected at the Council of Chalcedon in 451 and is also rejected by the Oriental Orthodox Churches.

Later, monothelitism was developed

Miaphysitism, the Christology of the Oriental Orthodox Churches, is sometimes considered a variant of monophysitism, but these churches view their theology as distinct from monophysitism and anathematize Eutyches.

See also

Acephali, Henotikon, the Three-Chapter Controversy

References

Monophysitismus Monofisismo Monophysisme Monofisismo המינות המונופיזיסטית Monofysitisme 단성설 単性論教会 Monofysittisme Monofizytyzm Monofisismo Монофиситы Monofysitismi